This invention is directed to a flavor-enhancing product that exhibits a heightened umami sensation compared to the umami sensation of individual components within the product.
Umami is a relatively new term to North American food producers although Asian cultures, especially the Japanese, have recognized for many years that “deliciousness” is a unique and specific human taste. Domestic food producers use the general term “savory” to describe several umami characteristics in food products.
Recently the first real proof of this fifth taste sense possessed by humans, umami, has appeared in the scientific literature. Closely associated with tastes derived from various marine and meat products, umami is the taste of protein. It also tends to reduce the perception of sourness and bitterness and increase the perception of saltiness and sweetness. The resulting taste perception has been generally described as “delicious.” Molecular biology studies have confirmed the physical presence of human taste receptors that respond to umami substances which are responsible for the delicious protein taste.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and the nucleotides inosine monophosphate (IMP) and guanosine monophosphate (GMP) are commonly recognized flavor enhancers. Current FDA regulations require that these chemical compounds be specifically identified on product ingredient statements. Many food producers will not use these compounds in their products because they believe consumers have a negative opinion of them. The industry continues to seek highly functional flavor enhancers with “clean” labels.
Most recently, IMP has been shown to greatly amplify the umami response of the taste receptor in the presence of various free amino acids and glutamate. When viewed in the light of these recent molecular biology studies, it is apparent that the careful selection and blending of common food products can create a wide range of exceptionally savory ingredients.
A large body of literature shows that many common natural foods contain free amino acids (especially glutamate) and nucleotides. These publications infer that the chemicals were responsible for the umami character of the food. Trained sensory panelists have been able to correlate the intensity of the umami taste with the actual content of individual umami compounds in a statistically significant manner.
Flavor enhancer manufacturers have promoted the concept that blending MSG and nucleotides increases the functionality of the blend. In other words, you can use less MSG when combined with a small amount of IMP or GMP, and even less MSG when combined with an IMP/GMP blend. The literature documents this synergy through sensory studies. There are no known references in the literature to blending natural products that contain these substances to achieve umami synergy.
There is a need or desire for a flavor-enhancing food additive made up of a blend of natural products that achieves umami synergy.